Flu season is in full swing in Oswego

While local health care officials may not agree if it is currently the peak of the flu season, they do agree that there are more flu cases this year than in the previous season.

Erin Place

While local health care officials may not agree if it is currently the peak of the flu season, they do agree that there are more flu cases this year than in the previous season.

Linda Coe is the clinical manager at Oswego Family Physicians and believes that it is the peak of the flu season. “We’re seeing eight to 10 cases of flu a day in the last week,” she said, noting that this is a low number of cases.

Even though the cases were few last week, Coe said the flu season is worse this year. “Last year the flu serum covered most of the bugs,” Coe said. “If there’s a wild strain out there that developed, we can’t cover it ... these viruses are very, very smart. They mutate and they get past the serum.”

Coe explained that right now, next year’s flu vaccination is being made from this year’s flu strain. The vaccination is always based on the previous year’s strain. Coe believes that one of the strains from last year was not covered, which is why health care providers are seeing an influx in flu cases this season.

This year the practice purchased 1,200 flu vaccinations and 1,100 have been given. The clinical manager wanted to dispel a common flu myth. “A lot of people feel that because you might get the flu anyway, you shouldn’t get the flu shot. It does help protect you,” Coe said.

Coe also noted that she has not seen any bizarre illnesses this season, but many patients do have the average sore throat and sinus infection.

Judy Lester is the supervising public health nurse for Oswego County. She said that statewide health care facilities have seen widespread activity since Jan. 8, noting that Oswego County compares similarly to the state.

Throughout the county, roughly 2,000 vaccinations have been given through county-offered flu clinics. The flu vaccination is still available to any Oswego County resident. “It’s never too late is really what the stance is,” Lester said, noting that the ideal time to receive the vaccination is in October or November.

According to Marion Ciciarelli, the public relations director at the Oswego Hospital, the facility is treating more patients this year for the flu. She also said it is not the peak of the flu season yet.

During the week of Feb. 10-16, the hospital tested 48 people for influenza. Out of those cases, 14 tested positive for the flu. There were six cases of influenza A and eight of influenza B.

Ciciarelli explained that influenza A is the more serious type of flu and in other years, the more common type. Influenza B is less severe than A and tends to pop up near the end of the flu season. During the week of Feb. 10-16, 2007, there were 17 people tested for the flu, with only four positive cases. Three people had influenza A and one had influenza B. “In years past, we typically see more influenza A than B, but this year we’ve got more B,” Ciciarelli said.

She also pointed out that when people are given flu vaccinations, it contains more preventative measures for influenza A. According to Ciciarelli, 93 percent of the vaccination does not match influenza B strains.

Ciciarelli also noted that the hospital is also seeing other respiratory illnesses that coincide with the flu season.

Lester and Ciciarelli gave advice on how to prevent the spread of the flu. They said to practice good hand washing and respiratory etiquette. This means that people should not cough in front of others and cover their mouths when they sneeze. She also advised throwing away tissues immediately after use. Avoid sick people and crowds, and stay at home you’re not feeling well, the women said.